A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

smileyt_2

bupster wrote: »

This is another really good piece on in-work poverty among white collar professionals:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/18/hidden-poor-years-without-pay-rises

Thank you for this.

I have a friend in this kind of situation. She's not profligate by any stretch of the imagination but she struggles to make ends meet. I have in the past lent her money to cover her mortgage, and taken food parcels round. She had one piece of terrible bad luck which caused her a financial earthquake and she has never managed to recover, although she is a teacher and works so, so hard. Her car eats money but she can't afford a new one, and it would take nearly 3 hours to get to work and 3 hours back on public transport and would be impossible to do parents' evenings so she has to have the car. This summer, when she has time to breathe, I am going to sit her down and go through her finances with a fine toothcomb and possibly apply to one of those charities this article mentions to see if we can clear some of her debts and maybe get her back on her feet again. I love her dearly and it pains me to think how much she is struggling.

It wouldn't feel so bad if we really were all in it together. But we're not, are we? The rich are getting richer and to hell with those who are struggling! Grrrrr :mad:.

Anyway.

Byatt, I can understand auties having anxiety. Even those of us who are not autistic and can negotiate the complex social rules of our crazy society suffer from anxiety at times, so it must be much worse for someone with autism. Is there a city farm or something like that nearby - if she could go and have a look at the animals first it might be a step towards easing her out and about again. Animals are less threatening because they don't give a stuff about niceties!!

Talking of animals. I am sitting on my folding camping chair because BRUNO HAS DESTROYED MY ARMCHAIR :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: It is such a good job I love the very bones of him or he would be on a one-way trip to the dogs' home! The chair is beyond repair so I am off to the charity shop in a few minutes to see if I can find a replacement. I left him alone for half-an-hour whilst I went to have a shower and get ready for bed. He shoved my laptop off the chair (:mad:) and proceeded to dig his way through the seat. I nearly passed out when I came down and saw what he had done.

Oh well. I never liked that chair anyway ...... :rotfl:

The sun is shining here so I'm off to make hay .... Have a good day, everyone xxx.

Pooky

If I'm using the value lasagne sheets (which invariably I am) then I'll bung them in a Tupperware pot and pour just enough milk in to cover, a couple of hours is enough to stop them being quite so crispy on the bottom layer.

Lasagne is a fave here, I make a very wicked chicken, onion and broccoli lasagne too, using cheese sauce instead of a tomato based one. Brown small slithers of chicken breast and onion and thinly slice some broccoli (give it a quick steam whilst the chicken is browning. Layer up with pasta sheets and cheese sauce and top with tomato slices. It's gorgeous and makes a nice change if you're entertaining.

Byatt

I am so happy...having had a productive time in Homeba$e. I went in to get some primer/varnish for a project I'm doing, but decided to wander in their garden section as it's such a lovely day...well...on offer for a £1 each was a large hanging basket of strawberries, a gooseberry bush (with 2 berries on), 3 herbs in a pot (Jamie O stuff), a pack of broad bean plants, 3 pepper plants (Jamie O) and various potted plants, gerbera for one, came to a grand total of £7.58 as oddly a 2 for £12 kicked in so I saved a further 42p for 8 pots!! I am over the moon and was so excited as saved such a lot and have some lovely plants as well as I decided this year I would try not only to have veg but something pretty to look at. Isn't if funny what makes a person so happy. I actually had that well of excitement and bubbling anticipation.

GQ, as you are using dry lasagne sheets put more liquid in than usual so they soak it up. Make sure the top ones are covered in the cheese sauce otherwise they will be crispy.

starsandmoon

I work in an office were most people are struggling to make ends meet and we all earn ok money. Most are in overdrafts or have debt. I buy nearly all my work clothes from charity shops/car boots. Always take lunch in. Todays is left over pasta from last night. Ive gone back to work full time as this Universal Credit is scaring me to death and I dont want to be too reliant on it if possible.

Oh well a sunny day here. Washing is on the line and Im spending my dinner hour sitting in a little park in the sun with a book. Free and vitamin D exposure too! :j

prepareathome

Well got out and checked vegetable beds and thankfully no slug damage - yes they must have all migrated to where you all live as no slug damage here is unknown. If I find any I am afraid I am ruthless with them after so many years of them eating everything.

Found my potatoes are starting to come into flower - they never got that far last year, constant rain and slugs meant they rotted before flowering, so might, just might be in with a chance of harvesting some potatoes this year, don't want to get to excited yet as still a good few weeks till then and slugs can still come out to play............

I have pink flowers on some of the photos, never had pink ones before, potatoes I have ever grown up to now have only ever given me white flowers.

I have put the photos I took up of flickr - cannot get into photobucket for some reason, will add them to my facebook album later.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80746682@N06/


Hugs, Love and healing to all xxxxxxxxxx

mardatha

One of the very very VERY few things I can make is white sauce. *smirk*
I seem to be a bit out of it today, got neuralgia slamming into the side of my head and somebody poking my lug with a knitting needle. Lying flat with your head on a hot water bottle is the only way to stop it. RV says it gives a whole new life to the much loved Scots phrase of "awa and bile yer heid"
Got meat from the butcher this week so will attempt doughballs in stew. That can do for Thurs when the next lot of rain is due

grandma247

fuddle wrote: »

when you begin to try to emulate meals of the yester year and scratch cooking I feel it's a science, maybe even an art.

Well that is probably why it was called a domestic science lesson when I was at school then.

Molly41

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

In a my born days I have never used cornflour for a white sauce (or read a recipe for it) and now here are two:rotfl:. I must try that jug method Lyn, and ignore Mum rolling in her grave

Im another who makes white sauce with cornflour. I use 30g to 1 pint and add cheese/ parsley/ cocoa for whatever purpose.

Possession

I usually make white sauce with cornflour too, unless I've run out of cornflour. I was going to get some milk on my way back from a catering delivery but the traffic was horrendous so I turned back. Will have to go the other way for the school run, and lasagne is definitely out. Will make it tomorrow instead.

BitterAndTwisted

starsandmoon wrote: »

I work in an office were most people are struggling to make ends meet and we all earn OK money. Most are in overdrafts or have debt.

For some, it isn't necessary the lack of pay-rises that starts all the trouble: it's living precisely up to your income in the good times, so when or if the bad times come along there's not a lot to cut if you're carrying debts.

I don't wish to appear completely judgemental but the teacher in the Guardian article quoted is spending £50 on some mysterious "Christmas Club" and a hundred quid a month on guitar lessons. They would be the first things to go if I was feeling squeezed. It wouldn't necessarily be welcomed but hardly a real hardship to get rid of those kinds of expenses. They sound like unaffordable luxuries to me. *judgemental-alert coming up* What can hold some people back is their sense of entitlement: I suspect for a lot of us those days are gone, gone, gone. Of course, even in the good times some amongst us have never had those kinds of aspirations in the first place and that's the real tragedy to me.

And breathe....